What is the mass limit known as the Chandrasekhar limit for white dwarfs?
Answer
1.4 Solar Masses
The Chandrasekhar limit, set at approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, is the critical boundary for white dwarfs. This limit represents the maximum mass that electron degeneracy pressure can support against gravitational collapse. If a white dwarf surpasses this mass, such as by siphoning material from a companion in a binary system, electron degeneracy pressure can no longer hold the object up, leading to further collapse into a neutron star or black hole.
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